2010: Porua continues to read impulsively

Hello everyone! Welcome to my new 50 Book Challenge thread. This is my second thread this year.

First, I’m going to repeat some things about myself so that everyone has an idea about what kind of books I read. I love to read mystery/detective stories (mostly cozy mysteries), plays and short stories. I don’t enjoy reading about romance. What I love most is reading classic books. Then again I may end up reading books from other genres if they come my way.

I never have any reading goals or follow any lists. I just read whatever happens to catch my fancy. I don’t know how many books I’d be able to read in 2010 but I wish to share my experience of reading each and every book with all of you.

My first thread can be found here,

http://www.librarything.com/topic/80925

That’s all folks! Hope all of you will join me once again!

Now that the first six months of 2010 are up I’d like to present my Top Five ‘New’ Reads,



Top Five ‘New’ Reads 2010 (January-June)

1. The Queen of Hearts. Wilkie Collins.

2. London Lavender. E. V. Lucas.

3. A Kiss for Cinderella. J. M. Barrie.

4. The Remains of the Day. Kazuo Ishiguro.

5. Nightmare Abbey. Thomas Love Peacock.

Along with my Top Five ‘Re-reads’,



Top Five 'Re-Reads' 2010 (January-June)

1. A Tale of Two Cities. Charles Dickens.

2. The Great Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald.

3. Death of a Salesman. Arthur Miller.

4. Sleeping Murder. Agatha Christie.

5. The Mousetrap and Selected Plays. Agatha Christie.

Honourable mentions:

New Reads- The Innocence of Father Brown. G.K. Chesterton.

For the Blood Is the Life and Other Stories. F. Marion Crawford.

The Return of the Native. Thomas Hardy.

Re-reads- Cards on the Table. Agatha Christie.

Far from the Madding Crowd. Thomas Hardy.

The Thirteen Problems. Agatha Christie.

A Murder Is Announced. Agatha Christie.

Yay! A new thread! And another beautiful painting! And lists!

*is quite happy*

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie was published in 2009. This is the first book in Alan Bradley’s proposed series ‘The Buckshaw Chronicles’. It won the Debut Dagger Award of the (British) Crimewriter’s Association.

The story is told in first person. The narrator is an 11-year old Flavia de Luce. She lives in a mansion with her two elder sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, her father Colonel de Luce and once butler/chauffer now gardener Dogger. Flavia loves chemistry and has a passion for poison. She is constantly locked in a battle with her sisters who bully her and she is always looking for ways to harm them. One night Flavia overhears an argument between her father and a stranger. The next morning the stranger is found dead in the family cucumber patch. Of course, Colonel de Luce is immediately suspected and taken away by the police. Flavia decides to investigate the mystery and rescue her father.

The philatelic aspect of the mystery was interesting. I have never read a mystery that revolves around stamps. The whole back story about Horace Bonepenny was pretty thrilling. The revelation towards the end with the whole idea of illusion was good.

The narrative is gripping. I liked the atmosphere of the de Luce house and the town of Bishop’s Lacy. Even though most of the time they had nothing whatsoever to do with the story, I also liked all the references to literature and opera made in the story.

But the actual mystery seemed pretty thin and quite full of clichés. It is absurd the way Flavia picks up, very casually, clues, sometimes decades old, as if they were all laid out for her to stumble across with ease. She very easily makes connections between so many characters and yet fails to recognize true danger when she comes face to face with it.

The book is supposed to be set in the 1950’s but it feels like it's set in the Victorian era. The narrative felt kind of far removed. The thrills are there. There is murder, a decades old scandal, thefts and family secrets lurking in the shadow. The ingredients are all there but everything is stated so very matter-of-factly. Very much like observing a chemical reaction and noting down the results, calmly, without making any fuss.

Now for the characters. Flavia is an interesting character but unlike others I have not fallen in love with her and certainly don’t find her adorable. I’d actually be alarmed if any of the 11-year olds I know showed any of Flavia’s traits.

The way Ophelia and Daphne are always lunging at their younger sibling gets tiresome after a while. Why are these girls so nasty to one another anyway? The way Ophelia and Daphne hardly react to their father’s arrest (except for some tears when he’s taken away by the police) seems scarcely feasible. Inspector Hewitt’s whole course of action is just not believable.

The build up to the climax felt clumsy. It was so clear from whom the real danger comes from and yet Bradley almost forces our little heroine in to the situation which leads to the climax. Seriously, after spotting so many obscure clues about the mystery why would she fail to see what is so obvious?

Many people have complained that Flavia does not act like an 11-year old girl. Actually, Flavia does not act like, well, anyone, an 11-year old girl or someone else. Her creator, Alan Bradley, uses her as a mouth piece. Some one through whose eyes we’re watching the mystery unfold.

Bradley seems unsure about how to portray Flavia. At times the other characters act as if she’s just a kid. Her older sisters certainly treat her like one and give her no importance at all. At other times characters treat her like an adult female. For example, Inspector Hewitt says at their first meeting,

"We've had rather an early start this morning. Do you think you could manage to rustle something up?"

I don’t think any grown man will ask an adolescent girl to ‘rustle something up’. I think Bradley would have done better if he hadn’t made Flavia as young as she is, because he obviously knows nothing about 11-year olds and it shows.

The question is: How did I get over my problem with having an unrealistic character as the narrator?

Simple. I merely stopped thinking of Flavia as an 11-year old girl. I started to visualize the author himself as the narrator. After that I had no problem with enjoying the book.

But having said all that The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is overall an entertaining book. There is something about the whole atmosphere of Buckshaw and Bishop’s Lacy that is hypnotic. It managed to hold my interest and I fairly sailed through the book without any major glitches. I for one am interested enough to want to read the next one in this series. Recommended as a fun and easy read for mystery enthusiasts.

(The link to my review is here, http://www.librarything.com/review/58388011)

#3 My first visitor! Hi, ncgraham! Isn't the painting beautiful? It is The Reader by Jean-Honoré Fragonard.

Hi Porua! Good review of the Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

I have followed you... Love the painting!! Look forward to seeing some more great reviews.

Interesting. I've had that book at the back of my mind for a while. I think I'll keep it there :-)

Nice new thread, Porua! I'm guessing The Reader here doesn't look like you this time!

Welcome to my new thread you all!

#6 Hi tjblue and thank you!

#7 I’m so glad to see you here, crazy4reading! The Reader has been one of my favourite paintings for quite some time now. I’m glad that I’m finally able to share it with you.

#8 “Nice new thread, Porua!”

Thank you!

“I'm guessing The Reader here doesn't look like you this time!”

But it does! My profile is kind of like that. Complicated, I know!

I like your new thread, Porua. What a great picture! I've heard a lot about Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I loved your solution to the unreliable narrator problem. I'll be reading Sweetness one of these days and will remember your strategy! Right now I'm still trying to whittle down the tottering TBR piles.

#10 "I like your new thread, Porua. What a great picture!"

Thank you, Donna!

I'm trying to reduce my TBR pile too. So many books, not enough time.

For a long time I’ve wanted to read this. A classic noir/ pulp story, I was fascinated by it. But at the same time I was a little scared. Would this dark tale told in first person prove to be too much for me? I was in two minds. I would have never had the guts to pick up this book if it hadn’t been for a fellow LT member. After seeing her read it earlier this year I finally went for it.

The Killer Inside Me, published in 1952, is one of the classic works of the noir genre.

Lou Ford, a small town sheriff’s deputy, is an ordinary (if slightly dull) man. Except no one knows that inside him there is a pool of darkness, a thing he calls his ‘sickness’. For years he has been containing it. One wrong person, one wrong moment and it may all come crashing down. Unfortunately Lou will soon meet his destiny, a woman called Joyce Lakeland. Soon it will all spiral out of control and leave one bloody ugly mess.

Maybe it was shocking when it was first published in the 1950’s but for someone who has read the modern day works in the mystery/suspense/thriller genre; the violence may not be a big deal. It’s all pretty subtle when compared to modern depictions of violence.

What I found troubling was not the violence but the fact that I, the reader, actually had to see through the eyes of a psychopath. The first person narrative makes this book all the more disturbing. All that evil, stated so matter of factly by Lou, felt so very real.

What’s more is that Lou makes it all seem so rational. There are moments when one forgets how sick and twisted this man is. That is what makes this so unsettling.

I found it amazing how Jim Thompson showed Lou’s sadistic nature come out through his habit of cornering people and unloading on them one cliché after another. An example is given early in the story,

“ The smile on his face was getting strained. I could hear his shoes creak as he squirmed. If there's anything worse than a bore, it's a corny bore. But how can you brush off a nice friendly fellow who'd give you his shirt if you asked for it?”

He delights in seeing people fidget and avoid him as he slowly torments them with his dull, plodding words. Brilliant!

There is a nightmarish quality to the narrative. It’s because Lou’s life is somewhat of a nightmare. As he describes it,

“It was like being asleep when you were awake and awake when you were asleep. I'd pinch myself, figuratively speaking--I had to keep pinching myself. Then I'd wake up kind of in reverse; I'd go back into the nightmare I had to live in. And everything would be clear and reasonable.

He wants to get away from it all. He believes leaving the small town he grew up in will solve all of his problems. But then he wonders does one ever get way?

“The Conways were part of the circle, the town, that ringed me in; the smug ones, the hypocrites, the holier-than-thou guys--all the stinkers I had to face day in and day out. I had to grin and smile and be pleasant to them; and maybe there are people like that everywhere, but when you can't get away from them, when they keep pushing themselves at you, and you can't get away, never, never, get away.”

For a pulp/noir work the book isn’t simple. There are a lot of layers to the story. As the narration is in first person, it is all a bit hazy. Of course one couldn’t expect a mentally disturbed person to be rational and precise. It is, after all, his mind that we are looking in to.

At times I had trouble understanding what was going on. Thompson left a lot unsaid and it certainly isn’t a bad thing even if it did hinder my understanding the book.

The story is sexist. It portrays the women in a bad light. Both Joyce Lakeland and Amy Stanton are portrayed as mean, spiteful women who help bring about Lou’s downward descent ever more rapidly. But I suppose it is a product of its time.

Watching and almost experiencing how the delicate balance that took years to build gets destroyed is disquieting. I didn’t find The Killer Inside Me gory but it is a cruel, merciless story. It isn’t fun to watch a serial killer’s mind unravel as the bodies pile up.

But I’m glad I read it because of its writer, Jim Thompson. He was definitely ahead of his time. Ultimately, The Killer Inside Me truly deserves its status as a classic of the noir genre.

(The link to my review is here, http://www.librarything.com/review/61652431)

Wonderful review--I'd been considering picking this one up, and I think I may have to now. Thanks, and good reading!

Wow, Porua, what a great review. I won't be reading the book though, the review was creepy enough :)

#13 Thank you, whitewavedarling! It’s been a while since you’ve been around my thread. It’s good to see you again. I’m glad you have decided to pick up The Killer Inside Me. I was kind of apprehensive about the book. But I ended up liking it much better than I had expected. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

#14 Thank you, Muse! If you’ve found the review creepy than I think I’ve done justice to the book and to its author, the great Jim Thompson. Creepy is the apt word to describe The Killer Inside Me.

I'm always around--I'm just more often a lurker than a noter :)

#16 I'm kind of in between a lurker and a noter. I lurk at a lot of threads but I also post frequently enough. :-)

Let me just join the chorus and say I love the new pic too! My parents have that as a full-size painting and I've always wondered what the woman was reading. Now I will know — she's reading whatever book Porua is currently enjoying! :)

#18 Hi, Amy! Welcome to my new thread. I'm glad you like the picture. Hope to see you around more often. :-)

I finished reading The Collected Short Fiction Of Ngaio Marsh edited by Douglas G. Greene last night.

The book contains six short stories, two essays, one script for a television show; etc.

First of all there are two autobiographical essays, Roderick Alleyn and Portrait of Troy. They describe how her chief detective Roderick Alleyn and his wife Agatha Troy came to be. It is very interesting to see that how other writers and her own background (especially as a painter) have influenced her. I liked reading the essays.

There are three short cases featuring Roderick Alleyn; Death On the Air, I Can Find My Way Out and Chapter and Verse: The Little Coppertone Mystery. The first two feature pretty complicated murders. I found the motives kind of lame and felt bored. Chapter and Verse: The Little Coppertone Mystery was good. It has a remarkably macabre feel to it. Personally I find Roderick Alleyn’s dialogues kind of forced and I don’t really like him.

Among the three other short stories, the first two are not mysteries at all. The Hand in the Sand is the description of a true crime and A Fool about Money is the story of an amusing misunderstanding. Only Morepork is a proper mystery. But surprisingly the non-mystery stories are far more interesting than the mystery one.

The edition I read seems to be missing two short stories called Moonshine and My Poor Boy.

But the best thing about the book is the script for the television show, Crown Court, called Evil Liver. I was really intrigued by the mystery. Interestingly, Joan Hickson, who had portrayed Miss Marple, starred in this Crown Court episode as a vindictive neighbour. But the case does not have a real solution. The original show only provided partial solution, the rest you had to guess by yourself. The book’s editor Douglas G. Greene provides the reader’s with five probable solutions to the mystery, one of which is true. So fascinating and so much fun! But I SO wish Ngaio Marsh herself would have provided us with the true solution!

It works as a good introduction to the prose of Ngaio Marsh. I really enjoyed reading The Collected Short Fiction Of Ngaio Marsh. But given that I do not like her detective Roderick Alleyn I don’t know if I’ll read any more of her books as I understand she wrote little else but Roderick Alleyn mysteries.

From what I know, Roderick Alleyn develops as a character throughout the series, much like Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey. Granted, I haven't read any of either series, but I just thought I'd throw that in there.

I've liked the few Marsh books I've read and plan to read more. She is a good writer, the kind that doesn't trumpet its skill but slips it past you so effortlessly you almost don't notice how good it is.

# 21 Well, I don’t know if the development really matters. Because you see the detective Roderick Alleyn stories in this book were all written in different times and I still don’t like him. Death on the Air is from 1936 and Marsh I believe had already written at least three Alleyn books by then. I Can Find My Way Out from 1946 already shows him married to Agatha Troy so that story must come after Artists in Crime in which he first meets her (according to the article Portrait of Troy).

#21 & 22 I'm sure Marsh is a good writer but I find Alleyn a little annoying. Maybe he becomes better fleshed out through the course of the books. I’m just not sure if my feelings for her lead detective will change. But who knows I may give it the benefit of the doubt and read some of the detective Roderick Alleyn mysteries someday. We’ll see.

Wuthering Heights is the only novel written by Emily Brontë. It was published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell.

Set against the bleak backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, this is the story Heathcliff and Catherine and their obsessive love for each other. Their untamed, defiant natures destroy not only their own lives but also that of many others.

I refuse to regard this as a mere love story. What Heathcliff and Catherine have between them can not be called simply love and be set aside. It is not love, no, it is a thirst, a hunger, an all consuming obsession, it desires to devour all and leave nothing. It is a selfish, monomaniacal fixation that tries to smash through all of the physical barriers and leap to freedom.

Heathcliff and Catherine grow up together beyond the boundaries of society. If Mr. Earnshaw had lived a little longer, if Heathcliff and Catherine had some sort of authority figure in their lives things could have been different. Instead Hindley becomes the master of the house and scorns their friendship and casts Heathcliff aside. Growing up together, rambling in the moors and defying Hindley’s authority (not to mention the cantankerous Joseph’s too) they grow wild and become essentially one person. As Catherine confesses to Nelly,

“Nelly, I am Heathcliff- he's always, always in my mind- not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself - but, as my own being -...”

To me Catherine seems selfish and self-centred in a child like way. She refuses to make a choice between Edgar and Heathcliff and wants to keep them both. She says,

“...It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff, now; so he shall never know how I love him;...

At the same breath even though she’ll be marrying Edgar she refuses to part with Heathcliff either,

“ 'He quite deserted! we separated!' she exclaimed, with an accent of indignation. 'Who is to separate us, pray? They'll meet the fate of Milo! Not as long as I live, Ellen - for no mortal creature. Every Linton on the face of the earth might melt into nothing, before I could consent to forsake Heathcliff.”

And when she fails to keep both her marriage and her childhood friendship she rages against everybody and decides to die just to spite everyone, again just like an adolescent would,

“Well, if I cannot keep Heathcliff for my friend - if Edgar will be mean and jealous, I'll try to break their hearts by breaking my own. That will be a prompt way of finishing all, when I am pushed to extremity!”

In fact, I don’t believe Catherine ever really grows up. Even when she appears as an apparition to Lockwood, he sees her as a child.

Among all of the characters the one that is synonymous with this book as well as with the name of Emily Brontë is Heathcliff. A foundling of unknown origins, even his name is not his own. Heathcliff behaves incredibly cruelly towards almost everyone in the narrative. He is vicious, malicious, violent, and sadistic. Some see him as part human, part beast while others believe he is the Devil himself.

We may say that the trauma of his early childhood had changed him. That Hindley’s cruelty and Joseph’s unkind words had turned him in to the man he is. That if Catherine hadn’t married Edgar he wouldn’t have been so vindictive. But I believe the germ of his character was already there even before all of this had happened.

But even after all that there is something about the character of Heathcliff that makes us remember him not for his cruelty or vindictiveness but for his obsessive devotion to Catharine. Maybe because in the end he can not make himself hurt young Cathy or Hareton Earnshaw anymore than he already has. Because they remind him so much of his idol. My favourite lines from the book are when before his end comes he says to Nelly,

“...for what is not connected with her to me? and what does not recall her? I cannot look down to this floor, but her features are shaped in the flags! In every cloud, in every tree - filling the air at night, and caught by glimpses in every object, by day I am surrounded with her image! The most ordinary faces of men, and women - my own features - mock me with a resemblance. The entire world is a dreadful collection of memoranda that she did exist, and that I have lost her!”

The second generation at the Heights and the Grange, Hareton, Linton and young Cathy, are not nearly as much fascinating as the first one was. Young Cathy reminded me more of her aunt, Isabella, than her mother.

Ellen ‘Nelly’ Dean I think is the only rational and totally sane character in the whole book. She, for me, provided the much needed voice of reason.

What I admire most about Wuthering Heights is its author, Emily Brontë. It is her writing that has kept generations of readers transfixed. She wrote about raw and unrestrained human emotions without the fear of meeting with the disapproval of the 19th century audience. I think she is probably one of the most honest writers I’ve ever come across.

Even nearly 200 years after the publication of Wuthering Heights it still does not feel stale. It is still crackling and sharp. It still provokes strong emotions and makes it impossible to ignore it.

The characters of Wuthering Heights tried relentlessly to break all boundaries of conventionality. The author herself went beyond the restrictions of what was considered proper and improper in literature back then. And that is what makes Wuthering Heights relevant even today. It is certainly the reason I enjoy it and cannot forget it. A truly timeless classic.

(The link to my review is here, http://www.librarything.com/review/58532727)

Great review, Porua! WH is one of my favorites too.

But I believe the germ of his character was already there even before all of this had happened.

Ditto.

I will add Wuthering Heights to my very short list of classics that I should read on principle, even though it sounds like something I would have no interest in at all. Anything with love and romance as a main theme just doesn't work for me in general, but not necessarily universally by the way. I'm a scifi/fantasy reader, which tends to be more of an analysis/projection of a society, or at least the psyche of a select few people, rather than some fluffy smoochy stuff. Your excellent (as always) review gives WH some of this aspect, in that it explores the power of emotions. Like Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, which I'd bet that you would really like, or at least find it a worthwhile read. I see much similarity between the two, actually, only Heinlein's story is about a human born on Mars and raised by the Martians, who are a much more mentally advanced species than the humans, and he is brought back to earth as an adult. The story explores concepts like what actually makes a person a human being, and examines several aspects of society and its accepted norms. So on and so on, blah blah blah, but there is a reason that it is one of the pinnacles of the scifi genre, and the one I'd personally pick for you to read if you had to read a scifi classic.

Also, as a quick note to wisewoman, I mistook your screen name for someone else that I used to chat with here and checked your profile page. Definitely not the same person, but I noticed a book I enjoyed in your recently added section. Robin McKinley's Outlaws of Sherwood is pretty good, and it is a realistic version of the Robin Hood story. Stephen Lawhead is a great writer and you should add his Byzantium to your reading list, as should just about everyone else. I rank it as one of the greatest and easily the single most inspirational book I've ever read, and I'm not into the whole Jesus thing. If it were more like Lawhead's vision of it, I might be though. It's that good.

P.S. I always thought it was WuRthering Heights and now stand corrected. Just the sort of clarification that may save me if I ever get on Jeopardy.

#25 Thank you, Amy! I first read Wuthering Heights in my early teens. I was afraid that my re-read may spoil it for me. But it held up very well indeed. I recommended it to a young relative of mine (before Stephenie Meyer did) and she loved it too. She is not a bookworm like me but this book has made her want to read more classics and books in general. That is the power of a good book.

#26 Thanks DP!

Regarding romance, if you’ve read my first post you already know that I don’t like romance either. I absolutely HATE fluffy smoochy stuff. Exactly the reason you would never catch me reading anything like those current best sellers (I’m not naming names. They do have lots of fans out there) that stare at my face every time I visit a darn book store. The people at the store keep pushing them at my face assuming that every young woman loves reading those kinds of books. Most of these books are incredibly shallow and unreal. They do nothing but warp young minds.

I like reading about individuals who are real. Good and bad, with human emotions and flaws but hopefully with the power of redemption. Love and romance may be the main theme but it has to be mature love, not silly crush type of love. For example, I love A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, which has a very powerful love triangle at the heart of it but the book is not just about that. It is set against the French revolution for one. The struggle of the People of France and also the condition of the poor in London are discussed at great length. It is a meaningful book with a meaningful love story. So, if the book offers something more I don’t mind reading about love. But I doubt if I ever will read an out an out love story, especially if it is a contemporary one.

Yeah I know about Stranger in a Strange Land. The concept is intriguing. I might give it a try someday. Actually I enjoy some sci-fi from time to time. Haven’t read one in a while though. I think I’ll get to one in the near future.

The only thing worse than Fabio romance is when Fabio is a vampire. Or 'Hot Chick, Zombie Hunter'.

Tale of Two Cities sounds much better than Great Expectations, which I was very bored by. Enthrallingly well written, but I just didn't care. Or maybe just didn't get it. Pip throws away what little family he has left for some rich girl way out of his league, then actually improves his station but it's not enough to get the girl. Or does he? I recall there was a revised ending. Not a big deal to me. What are your opinions on Bleak House? I actually have a nice copy of it and Dickens deserves better from my end than my opinion of GE.

Beautifully-written review, Porua, especially the third paragraph—you know, the one about it not being "a mere love story" and all.

Porua, your review is possibly the single and only thing I have ever read about WH that gives it any kind of redemption for me. I've never liked the book much, though I've read it three times, trying to like it. But what you say about the characters of Catherine and Heathcliffe, and about honesty and not-just-a-love-story and escaping the boundaries of 19th century norms is great! Helps me see what people see in the book and almost makes me start to like it more myself :)

#29 Haven't read Bleak House yet but it's at the top of my Dickens Wishlist. I would like to keep it in my collection. As soon as I find a decent edition of it, I'm going to get my hands on it.

#30 Thank you! The third paragraph contains the first thoughts that came to my head after I finished re-reading the book. My first reaction, so to speak.

#31 "Porua, your review is possibly the single and only thing I have ever read about WH that gives it any kind of redemption for me."

Thanks, Muse! Like I said before if all of us liked the same things the world would be a very boring place. I'm glad I could shed some light on what I get from Wuthering Heights.

I loved Wuthering Heights when I read it early last year. Yeah, it's depressing at times, but the characters are so vivid and there is such artistry in the mood that Bronte creates. I also really like the symmetry of the novel and its resolution.

We own the Binoche/Fiennes film version, which is fairly good. Anyone know of any other good adaptations? I think Masterpiece Theater did one not that long ago. I caught part of it on TV and haven't seen the rest of it yet.

DirtPriest, Outlaws of Sherwood is one of my favorite retellings of the Robin Hood story (the edition I added was the hardcover which I finally got my little hands on!). It's one of those that I reread constantly as a teen, and it is still great when I reread now. Have you read anything else of McKinley's? Most of her work is excellent.

Stephen Lawhead is one of those authors I read aaaaages ago and have not revisited yet as a more mature reader. So he makes "the whole Jesus thing" attractive? Fascinating. What exactly attracts you about his portrayal? As my profile says, I'm a Christian and I love Christ already, so I'm not in need of convincing. We can take this to profile comments if you like. Sorry to hijack your thread, Porua!

*wishlists Byzantium* :)

The Killer Inside Me looks like a very interesting book. Yes I must be crazy to even say that but just from what I read of your review makes me want to try reading it.

Wuthering Heights is another book on my TBR pile. I just keep putting it off and I don't know why I keep doing it.

Lawhead is a master wordsmith, a notch ahead of any author that I have personally read. Each word seems perfectly selected and only adds to a narrative. Some great authors overdo things and make their tale overly confusing, like they are showing off.

Aidan in Byzantium grows from a wide eyed young monk to a grizzled man of the world in Byzantium, after an overly adventurous voyage to deliver a copy of the Book of Kells. His initially 'blind faith' in the Christian teachings are severely tested, given up on as I recall, and then rescues him from despair. This enlightenment just makes him a humble polite fellow with a belief that peace and tranquility will eventually reign, while accepting that bad things happen. And there is nothing pushy or preachy about it. I think the best way to sum it up is that it represents a belief in universal love and redemption as a fact of nature, free of human created dogmas and whatnot. Simple yet profound, like an oak tree, not some storybook 'guy in the sky' stuff that turns me off.
And, Aidan reminded me of my friends dad, who was a very impressive human being, the likes of which should be more common. Understanding, caring, thoughtful, wise. Like Gandalf, only the only magic he had was an honest smile and true friendship.

And for Porua, after some thought I think you would like Dune more than the Heinlein.

#33 I read your Wuthering Heights review right after posting mine. Yours is the most thumbed ever, you know. And I couldn’t believe how much my views matched yours! I especially loved that paragraph about romanticizing the character of Heathcliff.

“Sorry to hijack your thread, Porua!”

No sweat! I remember hijacking Donna’s thread a while back while discussing my reaction about The Queen of Hearts with someone.

#34 "The Killer Inside Me looks like a very interesting book. Yes I must be crazy to even say that but just from what I read of your review makes me want to try reading it."

The Killer Inside Me is a very interesting book. The protagonist, Lou Ford and the rest of the characters may not be the nicest people you’ll ever meet but it is an engrossing and intelligent book. And no you are not crazy my reviews are actually that good that they make everyone want to read the books I do! ;-)

#35 Caught all the Dune related chatter on your thread. Saw your review of it and also saw that BJ finally got Dune from the library after a long wait earlier this month.

Dated. That is the one word that comes to my mind when I want to describe Anthony Hope’s The Prisoner of Zenda.

I’m not a fan of historical fictions or swashbucklers in general. Nevertheless I’ve quite enjoyed my occasional forays in to these genres. Besides I enjoy reading classic books and am mostly willing to overlook the difference in outlook between then and now. But finishing The Prisoner of Zenda was an uphill battle for me

The Prisoner of Zenda is a swashbuckler/adventure novel. It was published in 1894.

Rudolf Rassendyll, a happy-go-lucky Englishman, travels to the fictional kingdom of Ruritania only to be drawn in to a political plot. The would-be king of the country, who is also the hero’s look alike, gets abducted by his evil half brother, Black Michael. Rudolf is forced to act as his ‘replacement’ until the rightful king can be rescued.

The King’s abduction and imprisonment in the castle of Zenda and all of the plots and counter-plots are somewhat entertaining. The final rescue was good.

But the whole atmosphere is so dated. The over the top attitude of the hero and the ever brave knights, the ‘evilness’ of the bad guys, the flowery dialogues, so so clichéd! Even the devil may care attitude of the celebrated villain Rupert of Hentzau is so dated that it is almost funny.

The upper classes support the fun loving, drunkard king and the lower income people (who are all ‘criminals’ according to the book) support Black Michael. Even those loyal to the king admit to him being unfit to rule but still stand by him just because he is of royal blood and Michael is not. They keep hoping that with the help of the pretty Princess Flavia, he’ll somehow manage the whole ‘ruling’ business. The importance of blood and birth may have been monumental in 1894 but more than a hundred years later it just makes no sense.

Hope keeps reminding us how ‘good’ the hero is by informing us every second or two about the hero’s fight with his own selfish desires. The hero is a good guy but he is also a human being. I get it. Is it necessary to repeat it over and over again?

Though barely 200 pages long, finishing this book was hard work. I don’t understand how this book has been in print for so long. True classics remain timeless. Something The Prisoner of Zenda is, definitely, not.

(The link to my review is here, http://www.librarything.com/review/61232139)

Loved the review, Porua!

I listened to Prisoner of Zenda from LibriVox here: http://librivox.org/the-prisoner-of-zenda-by-anthony-hope/ read by the inimitable Andy Minter. I enjoyed it, because I didn't take it at all seriously. I'm not even sure if it's not a parody?

I put it on the same level as The Scarlet Pimpernel. Totally unbelieveable, would be annoying to the point of being offensive if taken seriously, but a fun, almost comical adventure if not. Not everyone's cup of tea though :)

Nathan, are you there? I reckon you'd like it.

The Prisoner of Zenda is on my reading list. I think wisewoman's read it too.

You think I'd like it because I don't take things seriously? :P

Of course not! It's because you like things like The Princess and the Goblin.

And I realise that one does take that seriously because it's an allegory etc etc. It's more the tone of the thing.

I liked it, and found the characters fun in their datedness. But I can see how taking it too seriously would make it a drag. I do like the final choice that is made, even if it is painful. The old black-and-white film puts it well: "love is not all. There is also duty" (highly paraphrased!). No wonder the book feels dated in today's context!

Oh I didn’t take it seriously. It is after all only fiction. I just found the book boring and uninteresting and the narrative tedious.

But it was definitely not meant to be a caricature or a parody when it was written. The people in the Victorian era took the ideas the book presents seriously enough. The idea of chivalry and the perfect gentleman were very prelevant at that time. The Prisoner of Zenda is not the only book of that era to explore these themes. Books like K. H. Digby’s The Broad Stone of Honour (with the subtitle ‘Rules for the gentleman of England’) were very popular.

The ideal gentleman was essentially the ideal of the ruling class. The ruling class rule because they are 'superior' to others. The advent of democracy was deemed as a threat to the idea of the British as a ruling nation and the landed gentry’s divine right to rule. Therefore, most of these books supported monarchy and dreaded the rise of ‘unfit to rule’ working class people. It is only after WWI that the ideals of honour (in the battlefield and in the polite society) were shattered.

I still think take chivalry pretty seriously ;))

... but I'm pretty sure that's not what you're talking about.

Ooh, all this is so relevant to the book I'm reading called Love in the Western World - you can browse some of it in Google Books here: http://books.google.com.au/books?id=fqY12D__tLkC&lpg=PP1&ots=xbnGeDEe1g&...

It's fitting in a lot with nebulous ideas I've had for a while about the societal construct of love, and literary love and stuff, and in other ways is making me rethink my whole concept of romance, chivalry etc. Fascinating. But beware, it might mean you can never read Jane Eyre in the same way again.

(I think it was Porius who recommended this book - he's the one with the name so confusingly like yours, Porua. I sometimes have to think twice to work out who's talking, even though you both have very distinctive voice.)

#43 “I still think take chivalry pretty seriously ;))

... but I'm pretty sure that's not what you're talking about.”

Huh?!!!?

#44 Thanks for the link, Muse. Seems like an interesting read.

Oh this has happened before. People have mixed up the two of us before at least twice to my knowledge.

Hi Porua,
Just read your review on msg 100, three threads ago! Really liked your review of The Playboy of the Western World. Being from Ireland, I've seen at least one performance of this great play. Love it.

You also talk about E.M. Foster's Passage to India. I did like it but found his Howard's End the best. For me, a truly memorable read.

Hi bookmonk! Thank you for liking my review of The Playboy of the Western World. I really enjoy reading plays and this has become one of my favourites. But the review that I had posted on my thread was only sort of a draft. The full review of The Playboy of the Western World is here,

http://www.librarything.com/review/51715323

This one is slightly better fleshed out.

Last year I read two of Forster’s books as he was the monthly author in our group read. I found Forster’s writing to be impeccable no matter what the format of the work is. I enjoyed both a novel (A Passage to India) and a short story collection (The Celestial Omnibus and Other Stories) by him.

I did check out Howard's End and A Room with a View but those didn’t seem like my kind of books. But I'm not totally ruling out reading those sometime in the future.

Plays Unpleasant is a collection of three ‘unpleasant’ plays by George Bernard Shaw. It was published in 1898. These plays dealt with certain issues that were deemed ‘unpleasant’ and sometimes ‘distasteful’ by the society of that time and hence the name Plays Unpleasant. This volume was published before Plays Pleasant.

The plays in this collection are Widower's Houses, The Philanderer and Mrs. Warren's Profession.

Widower's Houses and Mrs. Warren's Profession deal with serious social problems, while The Philanderer is less serious in tone and deals with contemporary social trends.

One of the main grievances Shaw seemed to have was the existence of censorship. He wrote extensively about it in his preface to the book and also to the play Mrs. Warren's Profession.

In order to avoid censorship, the book’s first play, Widower's Houses, opened at the Independent Theatre Society. The performance was for the club members only and not a commercial venture therefore in no need of censorship.

Widower's Houses shows how one can be unknowingly contributing to the very social evils that one opposes to.

Among the characters of the play I disliked Blanche Sartorious. She is another one of Shaw’s annoying heroines. Most of the time she rages and rants and stamps her feet until she gets her way. I don’t know why any man would be in love with someone like her. Most of the other characters of the play are men. I liked the characters of Mr. Lickcheese and Mr. Cokane. They have some of the wittiest dialogues of the play.

The next play of the book, The Philanderer, suffered the same fate. It took nearly a decade for it to reach the theatre stage.

The action of the play centres around the members of The Ibsen Club. Men and women can become members of the club only after proving that they are ‘unmanly’ and ‘unwomanly’ respectively. This play pokes fun at the Naturalist theatre movement which rose against the Victorian tradition of Melodrama.

In spite of its light tone, this play is somewhat disturbing. The relationship between Julia Craven and Leonard Charteris is very unhealthy. Julia desperately wanting the affections of a man who doesn’t care two straws about her, following him around and flying in to jealous rages and Charteris running way from any woman who shows even the slightest signs of love for him.

The whole poking fun at the Naturalist theatre movement and the idea of the ‘new woman’ (influenced by Ibsen’s A Dolls House), more than a century later, feels dated.

I found the character of Julia to be very annoying. She is clingy, weepy and obstinate. Another one of Shaw’s annoying heroines! Surprisingly, the other two women in the play, Grace and Sylvia, behave sensibly and act rationally. The two elderly gentlemen, Mr. Craven and Mr. Cuthbertson, were fine as well.

The third and the last play of Plays Unpleasant is Mrs. Warren's Profession. This is by far the most modern play by Shaw that I’ve ever read.

Mrs. Warren's Profession was a highly controversial play. It was banned by the Lord Chamberlain’s office on grounds of ‘glorifying’ prostitution. It was first performed at London's New Lyric Club, a private club performance for members only and so in no need of censorship. In 1905 the whole crew and cast giving a public performance of it in New York City were arrested.

Interestingly, the play never mentions what Mrs. Warren's profession actually is. We are able to draw inferences about it from the way the other characters of the play react to her and when she herself recalls the story of her youth. The Victorian society declined to acknowledge that such people (people like Mrs. Warren and her patron Sir George Crofts) exist. Even if they do such women were not to be discussed in public.

This is definitely the most interesting play of the book. The atmosphere of the play is charged with intensity. Frank Gardner’s behaviour with Mrs. Warren and his relationship with her daughter Vivie and Sir Crofts’ attitude towards both of the Warren women are fascinating to watch.

Almost all of the characters of Mrs. Warren's Profession are interestingly complex. I didn’t really enjoy Vivie Warren’s hardhearted attitude but that is what shows how much similar and dissimilar she is to her mother.

I enjoyed Plays Unpleasant much more than Plays Pleasant. These plays provide important commentary on the society of that time and some of it may even be relevant today. Despite dealing with serious issues the plays are entertaining and at times funny. I found most the characters to be intriguing and the plots refreshing. Definitely recommended.

(The link to my review is here, http://www.librarything.com/review/62201811)

I'm catching up on your busy thread, Porua. As always, I enjoy your reviews even when we disagree about the book!

>31 ChocolateMuse:: Case in point...I've only read Wuthering Heights once but, like chocolatemuse, failed to see the attraction. That's okay, we agree on plenty of other things. :-)

>32 Porua:: I think you would really like Bleak House. I liked the characters that Dickens always does so well and, well, the bleakness of the book. It almost had a Kafkaesque feel to the labyrinthine court system.

Keep up the good work. I'll be back!

Thank you for dropping by, Donna! Glad you liked my review. I think Wuthering Heights is one of those books that you either love or hate. There is almost no middle ground. I love the book not because of the characters or the idea of romance that it presents but for its writer, Emily Brontë’s vision. Very few works of literature manage to be free of the social rules of its own time. And Emily Brontë managed to do that with Wuthering Heights. That is why I like the book and admire Emily Brontë. Incidentally, she and I share the same birthday.

I read Wuthering Heights as a teenager and it left a very strong impression on me. I can still, at age 66, visualize many of the scenes and relive some of the mystery and that-something-intangible which it emanates. I have a clear memory of Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edward, while there are many novels of which I've forgotten both the plot and characters.
Maybe it was my teenage hormones but I thought, and still recall, there was a certain sexiness about the story -- albeit, below the surface as it would have had to be in it's time.
I also remember writing a short story shortly after I'd read it which must have been influenced by my reading, as a friend said to me something to the effect "anyone can see Heathcliff in X".
I'm putting it in my re-reading list. Second childhood?

#51 I read Wuthering Heights in my early teens. I was afraid that my regard for it was perhaps a tad too much. But this re-read has helped enhance my understanding of the book and also made my original love for it stronger. I hope you enjoy your re-read as my as I did mine.

Recently while at a second hand book store a random book caught my eye. A blue spine and a name, Girl in Hyacinth Blue. As I read the blurb I felt that it probably wasn’t my kind of book. But something made me want to try it anyway.

Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland is the story of a fictional painting by Vermeer. Eight interconnected tales, all linked to the past and the present of this piece of art, are presented in this book.

The eight short tales are Love Enough, A Night Different From All Other Nights, Adagia, Hyacinth Blues, Morningshine, From the Personal Papers of Adriaan Kuypers, Still Life and Magdalena Looking.

The book chronicles the journey of the painting through the ages but the journey is not presented in a chronological way. Its history unfolds in reverse.

The book begins with Love Enough. A math teacher by profession and a loner by choice Cornelius Engelbrecht suddenly reveals to his unsuspecting colleague that he may own a hitherto unknown painting by Vermeer. However, he refuses to disclose where he acquired the painting from casting a doubt on its authenticity.

A young Jewish girl struggles with the changing times and her own entry in to adulthood during the Second World War in A Night Different From All Other Nights.

In Adagia, a man thinks with tenderness about the lost love of his youth and his long time marriage.

The next story, Hyacinth Blues takes a rather comic look at a rapidly disintegrating marriage of convenience.

The next two stories, Morningshine and From the Personal Papers of Adriaan Kuypers, take place almost simultaneously and are closely linked. A poor farmer’s wife finds an abandoned infant and starts to look for beauty in her own dreary life in Morningshine. From the Personal Papers of Adriaan Kuypers is the story of a young man who falls for a wild, nomadic girl with tragic consequences.

The last two stories, Still Life and Magdalena Looking take us right back to the moment the painting was conceived. Still Life is told from the point of view of the painter while Magdalena Looking tells us about the ‘real’ girl behind the painting.

The writing was very easy to read. It flowed beautifully and the language was elegant.
Once I started reading the book I couldn’t stop. I tried to slow down, to enjoy the unfolding of the layered history of the painting. But even with deliberate interruptions I ended up finishing it off in a day and a half.

Among the stories I liked Adagia, Hyacinth Blues, Morningshine, From the Personal Papers of Adriaan Kuypers and Magdalena Looking.

I know a lot of people don’t enjoy short stories. Some may find this book further complicated by the fact that it is told in the reverse. But that is the beauty of the book. That is what made this interesting for me. I wanted to see what happened before this and what led the painting to this house or to the hands of that person.

All the people who came in contact with the painting, living their lives throughout the intervening centuries from the inception of the painting to its present circumstance, were profoundly touched by it. All of them took away something different from it. That is what I really loved about Girl in Hyacinth Blue.

I went to this book blind, without any prior knowledge or prejudices and what a pleasant surprise it was! Highly recommended.

(The link to my review is here, http://www.librarything.com/review/62336563)

Hi Porua, Thumbed your review of theGirl in Hyacinth Blue and added it to my list. It's may sound strange, but most of the time that I pick a book because I like the cover I like the book too.

#54 Thanks for the thumb! I hardly ever judge a book by its cover and almost never buy a book I know nothing about. But this time I did and it paid off.

Finished reading Headlong Hall and Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock. Nightmare Abbey of course I've read before. Headlong Hall is Peacock's first novel so it’s even more unstructured than usual. But overall it is a fun experience. Thomas Love Peacock is now officially one of my favourite authors.

Some may find this book further complicated by the fact that it is told in the reverse. But that is the beauty of the book. That is what made this interesting for me.

Me too! And don't you just love it when you "discover" a book, yourself? I was just talking to my sister and her description of how she still chooses books reminds me of how much my book selection/buying has changed since joining LT.

Okay, I've definitely got to check this author out. Nice review, Porua!

#57 “And don't you just love it when you "discover" a book, yourself?

Yes, it does. You know, I was about to leave the store when I saw this book. I had no intention of buying another book but it was like it was calling me. It was weird. I sort of was compelled to buy it.

I always choose books I am almost sure to like, rarely venturing out of my comfort zone. My few excursions out side of it have proven to be disastrous. And very rarely do I like a modern book. Girl in Hyacinth Blue is one of those rare ones.

#58 Thank you, Amy! (I’m assuming you’re talking about the Girl in Hyacinth Blue review.)

Porua - I know that you are the ultimate Agatha Christie fan, so I thought of you when I listened to Radiolab podcast the other day. The description is here:
"Agatha Christie’s cleverly plotted detective stories made her the 20th century’s best-selling fiction author—she sold billions of books throughout a career that spanned the 1920s to the 1970s. But her intricate novels may reveal more about the inner workings of the human mind than she intended: according to Dr. Ian Lancashire at the University of Toronto, the Queen of Crime left behind hidden clues to the real-life mysteries of human aging. In today’s podcast, a look at what scientists uncover when they treat words like data. In Agatha’s case, an English professor makes a diagnosis decades after her death."
If you want to listen, the link is here.
It's fascinating and I wonder if you've noticed the difference in her vocabulary when you've read her works. Also - pardon me if you already know about this, but I couldn't NOT send it to you!

Thank you so much for sharing that! I have always found the later Christies a little lacking. The work the podcast mentions, Elephants Can Remember, is one of her weakest works, in my opinion. But some of the early Christies are not that good either (I’m looking at you, The Murder on the Links).

Christie had lived such a long and fruitful life that even if she slips up a little at the age of 81 (that is how old she was at the time of the book’s publication), it all seems ok. Of course, I still prefer the middle Christies (from the 30’s to the 50’s).

The podcast as a whole was very interesting. I found the nun’s story very refreshing. At 94 years of age she sounds younger than most people I know!

Ticker update! As of the 1st of August 2010 I’ve read 44 books.

Hooray! Only 6 more to go to hit the mark!!

#63 Thank you, tjblue! :-)

Finished the enigmatically complex The Name of the Rose. My review is here,

http://www.librarything.com/review/62889634

I never could get through The Name of the Rose. I started it at least once but could never finish it. It just struck me as so very dry. For actual mystery novels involving monks and the middle ages, Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series is much more fun. :P

#66 Oh yes The Name of the Rose is one tough to read book. I had a hard time with it. But then again like I said in my review this is definitely not a mystery novel. It does involve a monk trying to find a killer while dead bodies pile up but that is only one of the elements of the story. :-)

Well, you've made me want to read The Name of the Rose, Porua, just for the cerebral challenge of it. I have to get over "summer brain" first, though! Another super review. Thumbs up!

Thanks for being my first visitor on my new thread.

#68 “Thanks for being my first visitor on my new thread.”

You’re welcome!

Thank you for the thumbs up! The Name of the Rose is a challenging book. I cannot believe that some people have actually read this 6-7 times when my head is still reeling from my first read. You may have noticed that I have not rated the book (something I almost always do). I just couldn’t decide how to rate it. Maybe I’ll be able to decide after some time.

Funny. I hated The Girl in Hyacinth Blue. Hated it. I thought the writing was bad, over melodramatic and strewn with clunky metaphors. Just goes to show how tastes can vary. Glad you enjoyed the read.

#70 Yes, like last year when I complained that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (and actually the whole Millennium Trilogy) contained way too many, and may I say unnecessary, sex scenes. Also, the graphic sexual violence in the first book really put me off and all of the books could have done with a lot more editing. But you liked it. Different people, different point of views. :-)

#71> Yup! Exactly like that! But, still, I'm going to go out on a limb and make a wild guess that over the long haul you and I probably agree about individual books much more than we disagree.

#72 Yeah I think so too. Case in point, The Great Gatsby. It is one of my all time favourites and I seem to remember your rating of it was very high.

If you thought The Name of the Rose was complicated, try Eco's Focault's Pendulum. That's the first book that actually intimidated me. I put the book down after about ten pages and tried to figure out what to do with it for over an hour. I think I spent a few days reading comic books in recovery. Eco is a professor of semiotics, which is a branch of linguistics dealing with symbols and how they interact with languages. Plus he writes in Italian and then translated into English. On the border of being above my pay grade.

A quick example of the semiotics at work is the name 'William of Baskerville'. The Baskerville title is obviously used to set up imagery of a detective at work, specifically Sherlock Holmes upon the lonely moors in The Hound of the Baskervilles. It transfers all of that imagery and mental baggage to a humble monk named William, who attempts to solve a murder. That's quite a lot of power contained in one simple word, but if you are not familiar with the Holmes story, then it is lost. I was intrigued enough by the Name of the Rose to dip my toes into semiotics (I had never heard of it before that). The power of it in literature was pretty obvious, and Eco ramped it up to a much higher level in Focault's Pendulum.

As a bonus, his name comes up every so often in crossword puzzles.

#74 Yeah I know Eco is an Italian and a professor of semiotics. You see, I have this habit of researching the authors before or after I’ve read their work. That way I can get a clearer view of what the writer wanted to say. Reading translations is always a tricky business. Like I read If on a Winters Night a Traveler a few months ago and wished I could’ve read the work in its original language. I think the idea of using the iconic Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles to name the monk 'William of Baskerville' was brilliant!

“As a bonus, his name comes up every so often in crossword puzzles.”

Wow that’s something I didn’t know!

I don't know; I think The Name of the Rose is a mystery novel. It's just a lot of other things too. The mystery provides the framework, the excuse, for everything else Eco wanted to do with the book. I enjoyed it, but I also was left with the feeling that there was so much that was flying right over my head. I was just happy that at least I knew it was flying over my head! :)

I think it's definitely a mystery novel in that the whole field of semiotics is about using signs and symbols to make meaning, just like a detective story does with 'clues'. I think this is the ultimately intellectual detective story on many levels - the erudite, over-my-head mystery novel :)

I myself didn't manage to finish the book. I got all the way to the last day, and just couldn't push myself any further (bit like with Moby Dick - I'm seeing a pattern here I don't like much!) So congratulations for getting all the way through Porua! And a great review again.

Hi, Amy and Rena! Thanks for your responses. I’ve been having a busy week I feel so exhausted. Had to cut down on my LT time just to get some sleep.

Still reading the short story collection Tales of Men and Ghosts by Edith Wharton for my Monthly Author Reads group. This is turning out to be a far more complex (but very enjoyable) read than I had anticipated.

Meanwhile finished a re-read of a collection of plays by Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays. The Importance of Being Earnest always makes me laugh with funny one liners like,

“Relations are simply a tedious pack of people, who haven't got the remotest knowledge of how to live, nor the smallest instinct about when to die.” (Very unkind, I know.)

Or,

“Never met such a Gorgon . . . I don't really know what a Gorgon is like, but I am quite sure that Lady Bracknell is one. In any case, she is a monster, without being a myth, which is rather unfair...”

and

“...it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth....”

Anyway, now that I’m done with Oscar Wilde I’m going to try to finish Tales of Men and Ghosts by the end of this weekend. :-)

Great review, Porua! I enjoyed reading it. Have you ever seen the movie version with Colin Firth? It is so much fun! I don't know how it stacks up against the play, but it's very witty and the characters are so absurd and lovable.

*giggles at the Gorgon/Lady Bracknell quote*

I'll agree that The Importance of Being Earnest is witty (very much so, actually), but I dunno, for some reason Wilde always leaves me feeling empty—whether it's in a classy comedy like Earnest or a dark melodrama a la Dorian Gray. Eh.

Oh dear, my posts on your thread have been rather negative and unenthusiastic recently. *blushes* I apologize for that.

Just stopping by to say HI! Hope you have great weekend!!

#79 Thanks, Amy! I had a hard time writing it. Summarizing my thoughts on five different plays by a writer like Wilde was tough.

There is a movie version of The Importance of Being Earnest starring Colin Firth? I didn’t know that. I’d like to watch it. Thanks for the info!

The Gorgon/Lady Bracknell quote is my favourite. Cracks me up every time!

#80 “Oh dear, my posts on your thread have been rather negative and unenthusiastic recently. *blushes* I apologize for that.”

Oh no no need for apologies! I always speak my mind about books. Likewise I prefer to listen to honest opinions about them from others too.

#81 Hi, tjblue! Left you a message on your thread. Congrats on finishing 50 books! Hope you have great weekend too.

I didn't know about the Firth movie either! Sounds fantastic! I listened to Being Ernest on Librivox.org (plugging LibriVox again).

Great review again Porua. I have those plays - I read Lady Windermere's Fan, and thought it was okay. I thought Lady W was a little nauseatingly virtuous though - I expected more hard cynicism from Oscar Wilde.

Definitely check out the film. Rupert Everett, Francis O'Connor and Reese Witherspoon also play in it and everyone is so perfect for their roles! I would love to hear your thoughts, Porua and Lorena, when you do get to see it.

Negative and Unenthusiastic Nathan strikes again :-P

Was the Librivox recording very good, Rena? I usually like reading plays, but I got the impression that I would enjoy The Importance of Being Earnest more if I were to hear/see it performed. The recent film version went a good way towards cementing me in this belief, but I didn't like some of the casting choices and they cut some of the best lines. (I know, I can never be pleased, can I?) The best thing about it was Anna Massey as Miss Prism. What a brilliant little actress she is.

#83 “I thought Lady W was a little nauseatingly virtuous though - I expected more hard cynicism from Oscar Wilde.”

Oh Yes she is! That is why I say ‘the judgements of some of the characters’ change during the course of the play. Lady Windermere begins as a judgemental, upright woman and her husband is the more lenient one. But by the end of the play they reverse their roles as Lady Windermere sees how easy it is for one to stray and fall from grace and her husband (not knowing the full truth) becomes a judgemental, unforgiving person. It shows that everyone is changeable, no one stays the same and there exists no ultimate truth or no permanent stability in human nature. I feel that is what Wilde wanted to show with the characters of Lady Windermeres Fan.

Besides I think like all of Wilde’s characters from his comedies, Lady Windermere is also meant to be a stereotype he uses to mock social rules. That is why I say it is a satire wrapped in Victorian melodrama with stock characters such as the paragon of virtue wife.

Edited to fix typo.

It took me quite a while to finish Tales of Men and Ghosts and not because I wasn’t interested in the book. It is because I had to read the stories very carefully in order to grasp their inner meanings. And was I successful? I don’t know. But it was quite an experience.

Tales of Men and Ghosts is a collection of short stories by Edith Wharton. It was published in 1910. These stories were previously published in Scribner's Magazine and The Century in the years 1909 and 1910.

The book consists of ten stories, The Bolted Door, His Father's Son, The Daunt Diana, The Debt, Full Circle, The Legend, The Eyes, The Blond Beast, Afterward and The Letters.

In The Bolted Door, a man goes slowly insane while trying to prove his own guilt.

His Father's Son tells the story of a father who dotes on his son, a son who is beginning to doubt his own origins.

A collector finds out that the thrill lies in the ‘chase’ and not in ‘possession' in the The Daunt Diana.

In The Debt a protégé shows what it means to be a true successor to his mentor.

In Full Circle, a complacently successful writer feels uneasy after hiring a down on his luck writer to oversee his fan mails.

The Legend tells the story of a legendary author and his mysterious disappearance from society.

An ever watchful pair of eyes keeps a man awake in The Eyes.

In The Blond Beast an ambitious young man has the perfect plan to climb the ladder of success.

Afterward is the story of an unsuspecting couple who move in to a supposedly haunted house.

And finally, The Letters is a story of love and the almost inevitable disillusionment it brings.

A majority of the stories are about ordinary men trying to do something, anything, to get out of the circumstances that bind them. They are mostly commonplace everyday men, grasping at happiness or what they perceive to be happiness and chasing the illusion of greatness.

But most of them end up going nowhere and often returning to where they had begun is no longer an option. Even if success does come, they often find that the fruits of success may leave a bitter after taste. Some make peace with their lives and some plummet into the gloomy void of misery.

There are no heroes or villains per se in most of the stories. The adversaries most of them face are their own inner demons.

I loved The Debt and The Eyes. The Daunt Diana and Full Circle are close seconds. I found The Bolted Door, The Legend and The Blond Beast kind of long drawn out.

Except for the last one or two stories, most of the protagonists are male.

Wharton makes the characters so fascinatingly intricate despite their ordinariness. You can actually feel their desperations and frustrations.

Edith Wharton’s writing is wonderful but complex. It kind of reminds me of the experience I had last year while reading E.M. Forster, another brilliantly complex writer.

Tales of Men and Ghosts is the first Edith Wharton book I’ve read and it has turned out to be a fascinating experience. I was held captivated by these ten shining literary gems. My love for short stories mingled with my love for classics made this a good read. Definitely recommended.

(The link to my review is here, http://www.librarything.com/review/59825648)

I always like reading your thread! Even though I'm not a big fan of short stories, after reading your thoughts on it, I might have to give Tales of Men and Ghosts a try.

Can you recommend any of Edith Wharton's novels? I've had The Age of Innocence on my TBR list for ages, but somehow it never gets bumped to the top. I really love E.M. Forster, so if you think their writing styles are similar, maybe I'll give her a push!

>86 Porua: thanks for your insight on Lady W, Porua. I see what you mean, and it helps me appreciate it a bit more.

Nathan, the LV recording was recognisably amateur, but I did enjoy it.

Man lived in library basement. Looks like he read too. I envy him.

here

#88 Thank you! I try to do my best.

I hope you like Tales of Men and Ghosts. As you all know I love short stories. I feel a writer who can put all the emotions that requires a whole book to play through in just a few pages deserves to be applauded. Only a really good writer is capable of doing that. And that is exactly why I enjoyed Tales of Men and Ghosts and also E.M. Forster’s The Celestial Omnibus and Other Stories last year.

#89 Tales of Men and Ghosts is the first Wharton book I’ve ever read. And with The Age of Innocence I’ve done something I usually never do. I saw the movie but haven’t read the book yet. If the movie is true to the book (with adaptations you can never be sure), The Age of Innocence is a heart wrenching story. I remember getting a little teary eyed after watching it. So, I’d definitely recommend it (if the movie and the book are the same that is).

#90 “thanks for your insight on Lady W, Porua. I see what you mean, and it helps me appreciate it a bit more.”

You’re welcome!

#91 Thanks for the link, Jerome! It makes me feel kind of sad though living in a basement (a library basement, which is awesome for a book lover but still...).

Hi, Porua,
I finally got all caught up on your thread and enjoyed reading your reviews. I loved the review of Wuthering Heights. I was especially interested in your thoughts on The Name of the Rose. I have been hesitating over that one for a while. I tried to watch the movie twice, but no luck! I was also glad to see that review of the Wharton ghost stories as I think that is on blackdogbooks list of for the October read. Age of Innocence has also been on my tbr for years. My daughter read it and loved it. And I know now that I must read The Importance of Being Earnest! So many good books mentioned here! :) Have a great weekend!
--BJ

#94 Hi, BJ! Thank you for dropping by.

Tales of Men and Ghosts isn’t really a book of ghost stories. Only one/two of the stories, Afterward and to some extent The Eyes, has a touch of the supernatural. It is more about ordinary men trying to be something they are not. It is about realizing that happiness may not come with money or fame or success. You have to find it inside you. It wasn’t an easy read but I really loved the experience of reading these stories.

I hope you get to The Importance of Being Earnest soon. It is a very funny play!

You have a great weekend too! :-)

Thanks for clarifying about the Wharton book. I must have been wrong about the Halloween group read list. I have heard so many great things about her that I need to check her out for myself. :)
--BJ

#96 You’re welcome! I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts on Wharton when you eventually do get to her.

Hi everyone! My LibrareyThing anniversary was a couple of days ago. Can’t believe how much I’ve enjoyed my time here and that I didn’t find LT before. But on the downside I keep spending so much time here that my reading time seriously suffers. Got to get off the computer more often.

Read two non-fiction books recently. Non-fiction is really not my thing. But I still enjoyed these books. The Art of War by Sun Tzu was the first one. It was a deep and difficult read. Have reviewed it but I’m not sure if I’ve got it all processed yet.

The second one was He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo. Quite a leap from ancient Chinese wisdom, I know. But it was a surprisingly enjoyable read.

Yay! Happy Thingaversary, Porua! Now you have to go buy a special book (officially one for each year you've been on LT) to celebrate, then go over to this "link" to tell us what book you bought to commemorate this very important date.

Can’t believe how much I’ve enjoyed my time here and that I didn’t find LT before.

In my life, there are certain events that are important markers for my life, and joining LT is definitely one of them. :-)

P.S. Do you think The Art of War would be good for someone who is contemplating joining the military?

Thank you, Bonnie! I’ll get to the Thingaversary thread as soon as I buy that book. I think it is a most fitting occasion to buy books for (and it's always good to find another reason to get more books).

As far as I know The Art of War is recommended or required reading for most military personnel especially those in intelligence. So, I think it would be good for someone who is contemplating joining the military.

I talked to my son yesterday; he's the one who--unfortunately, imo--is interested in joining the armed services. He had already read The Art of War and we had a very interesting discussion about/because of it. I think I'll read it--thanks!

I'm all about feeding other people's habits when it comes to books. It's clearly the *best* addiction to have! I, myself, am looking forward to buying 2 books (3, if I follow the "one to grow on" rule) on my Thingaversary coming up soon here.

#101 You're welcome. Hmm... I think I'll follow the "one to grow on" rule too. The more the merrier! :-)

Recently I’ve been checking my books at LT for faulty data (everything from wrong edition, place of publication, page numbers etc. etc). Also, I’ve been using more and more sources from OverCat.

This has led to a lot of deleting and re-entering of books. This means for books with reviews, the reviews had to be deleted too. Along with them went my thumbs! :-(

Now, I think my friends here are the ones who mostly thumb my reviews. So, if any of you had originally thumbed my reviews of The Mousetrap and Selected Plays by Agatha Christie, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens and The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays by Oscar Wilde, can you please thumb them again?

The links are here,

The Mousetrap and Selected Plays

http://www.librarything.com/review/64273537

David Copperfield

http://www.librarything.com/review/64274093

The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays

http://www.librarything.com/review/64273116

If you didn’t thumb them the first time, please feel free to ignore this.

Thank you all! :-)

Done, done, and done.

When I discover I entered a faulty edition (or when I replace an old one), I usually just add the new and/or correct one, then copy all the info over. Rather fussy, yes, but it saves one from losing those thumbs!

#104 Thank you so much! I appreciate the thumbs and the info. Will do it that way the next time.
:-)

Hi Porua! Hope you are having a great holiday weekend!!!

*thumbs thumbs thumbs*

Congrats on your LT anniversary, Porua! Here's to many more to come :)

#105 Hi Tammy! Hope you are having a great holiday weekend too!

#106 Thank you so much, Amy! For the thumbs and for the Thingaversary wish. :-)

The Art of War is quite an interesting book in it's own way, but I can handily sum it up in one simple Sun-Tzu style sentence.

'Success is achieved through the novel and correct application of superior knowledge.'

There are some great gems of wisdom in there. I actually have two different translations of it and a hand written copy of a third. As to actually reading it, just skimming or reading some of it is enough to give you an idea of what it is about and it is sort of repetitive. How many ways can you restate 'Use your strength against the enemy's weakness'?

#109 Yeah it’s kind of repetitive but I still found it interesting enough to read the whole thing. I did find some great pieces of wisdom in it. It's not a book for everyone though.

Hi Porua! I was doing a little more catching up this morning and found your thread. I see The Remains of the Day made your Top 5 list for the year so far, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Also wanted to let you now that I'm finally getting around to some Agatha Christie. I bought The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side at a charity sale last year, inspired by your thread, and am starting it this weekend. I'm really looking forward to it, it's been so long since I've read Christie and this will be my first Miss Marple story!

#111 Hi! Yes I enjoyed The Remains of the Day much more than I thought I would. I found the story moving and the language very elegant. That is quite something considering how I don’t much enjoy anything written in the past 20-25 years.

Hmm...not sure it is a good idea to start the Miss Marple books with The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side. Most people I know don’t like the book. The only reason I find it likeable is because it shows the growth of Miss Marple’s little village, St. Mary Mead and a lot of well known (and beloved) characters make an appearance. I feel that one needs to be at least a little familiar with the world of Miss Marple to be able to enjoy it.

May I suggest starting with my perennial favourite The Thirteen Problems (known as The Tuesday Club Murders in the US)? If you don't like short stories then I'd suggest Sleeping Murder, A Murder Is Announced or A Pocketful of Rye. :-)

I found this interesting but doubt if any one else would. Actor and author Charlie Higson talks about his top 10 favourite horror books here,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/sep/08/charlie-higson-top-10-horror-books

I’ve read two of the books/stories mentioned in the list within the past one year, Don’t Look Now and The Killer Inside Me. Don’t know if The Killer Inside Me is technically horror but I so get what Higson is trying to say. The Pan Books Of Horror also gets a mention. Though many people call them trashy or kitschy I’m grateful to Pan. I found F. Marion Crawford’s horror classic The Upper Berth through them. I still think The Meshes of Doom by Neville Kilvington is one of the most disturbing short stories I’ve ever read. And I’m still baffled by the story The Grey Shroud.

I'm so glad I checked back here before starting the Christie! There was no particular reason why I chose The Mirror... to begin with, it was just the one I had on hand. I spotted it for $1 at a charity sale last year and since I had already been thinking about getting back into Agatha Christie, I scooped it up. I will take your advice, though, and have already put it back on the TBR shelf. I'll see which of your suggestions the library has. Thanks!

#114 You are welcome! I’ll be eager to know which Miss Marple book you eventually decide to pick up.

I probably would have never read Eragon if it hadn’t been left behind at my house by someone. At a particularly lazy moment I picked it up and became interested enough to read it all the way through.

Eragon, written by Christopher Paolini, is the first book in the Inheritance Cycle. It was published in 2003.

Eragon is a young boy leading a perfectly ordinary life until one day he finds a mysterious blue stone in the jungle. The stone turns out to be a dragon egg. Soon he is drawn in to a world of magic, where a fierce battle is being fought between the forces of good and evil.

Paolini borrows heavily from various sources, namely from The Star Wars, the Harry Potter books and the The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Some of the developments in the plot can be seen coming from miles away. There is nothing novel or surprising about this story.

Notwithstanding the lack of originality in the plot, the book certainly is entertaining. The story moves at a furious pace. With Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, travelling from one place to another, fighting opposing forces, getting wounded, getting captured, one doesn’t have the time to breathe. The complex political situation of Eragon’s world is also intriguing.

Eragon’s education of magic and swordplay, especially the former one, feels rushed. A little more explanation and time would have been good.

None of the characters really stand out. Most of the characters feel like they have been borrowed from other books. Eragon’s growth from a mere farm boy to a dragon rider is inconsistent and at times dull. But he does strike as a sincere person who is willing to do good. Eragon’s weariness to choose sides also felt real. His relationship with his dragon Saphira struck me as kind of awkward at times. Murtagh is an interesting character and he is the only character whose future I felt interested to know more about.

Christopher Paolini is definitely talented. Since he wrote this book as a teenager, one may hope that his plots will become more original as he grows more matured.

The book is easy to read. The narrative somehow feels comfortable, if that makes any sense.

Although I enjoyed reading Eragon I doubt whether I really want to continue with this series. I don’t know if I like this series enough to continue with it and read at least two more six-seven hundred pages long books.

Now, if someone were to leave the next two books behind at my house and I have nothing better to do then who knows...

(The link to my review is here, http://www.librarything.com/review/64026101)

And I’m done! 50 books in 2010! I know a lot (and I do mean a lot) of people here at LT have read waaaaay more books than that but this is quite something for me. I’m so happy that I’ve done it. Yay me!

Thanks to all my friends here at LT whose kind words have helped me review most of those reads. This has indeed been a special journey. Thanks guys! :-)

My ticker update,

Wow, Porua, I didn't think you ever read fantasy! I don't know whether that would be an aid or a disadvantage in reading Eragon. You certainly seem to have had no trouble in spotting the cliches.

I confess, although I did read the first book all the way through (and watched the terrible, terrible movie) I was really put off by the whole thing and refused to read the sequels. If it had come out to moderate acclaim, I would probably have just shrugged it off and accepted it for what it was—a thoroughly unoriginal but somewhat entertaining fantasy read. Usually I can enjoy those. But the fact that it became a bestseller BECAUSE he started the book when he was fifteen really put me off. It's a marketing scam, I tell thee. And I've actually known other teenagers whose writing struck me as being much better than Paolini's. Unfortunately, their mommies and daddies aren't literary agents. ;)

That said, I do think he could come out with something good in time. He just has to overcome the public belief that his first book was the best thing since sliced bread. It's like being a child star in the movies: it will take a lot of effort to make the transition into maturity.

Whoa, didn't mean to go off on a rant. My best friend says I'm just bitter and wish that I had gotten published at eighteen. I hope that's not the case, but there probably is a *little* bit of truth in the statement.

Oh, and congrats! I'll probably make 50 by the end of the year too. At least, I hope I will. :)

Yay for 50! I wish I were back there in more ways than one! Probably most people don't read even ten books a year, so here at LT everyone is "above average!" Got your "top ten" picked out yet?

Congratulations! 50 books in one year is a lot, I don't care what anyone says! I'm shooting for 60 but still on my 40th, so I'm on thin ice. But, really, anything past 50 is gravy. Well done!

#118 “Wow, Porua, I didn't think you ever read fantasy!”

Oh I’ve read plenty of fantasy, just not recently. I’ve read the entire Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings trilogy and I’ve seen all six Star Wars movies. But all of that was when I was in my teens.

Thank you! I'm sure you'll make it to 50 too.

#120 Thank you, bonnie! And my “top ten” is coming soon! :-)

Oh and did you see my message on the Thingaversary thread? I picked up a short story collection by Roald Dahl called The Great Automatic Grammatizator and Other Stories for my anniversary.

#121 Thank you, rocketjk! At the rate you're going I'm sure you'll make it to your target. I know it should be about quality, not quantity. But looking at the amount of books some of my fellow LT’ers have already managed to read makes me feel a tad bit insecure.

Congratulations on reading 50 books, Porua. You not only read interesting and sometimes very complicated books, but you write such in-depth reviews of them. My thanks to you for sharing your thoughts with the rest of us.

Oh, and a Happy Belated Thingaversary. I can't wait for mine in March of 2011. Four years = four books. Yippeeeee!!

Yay!! 50 books! Way to go!!!

Congratulations! Maybe 75 for 2011? ;)

Congratulations Porua! I haven't counted mine, but I bet there's no more than 20. Probably a lot less. Yay for you! :)

Agree with Donna in #123.

#123 Thanks, Donna! A year ago I never would have dreamed of putting my private thoughts about books out there like I do now. I know my reviews become a bit wordy sometimes but I do love writing them. Thanks for being so patient with me.

#124 Thank you, Tammy! :-)

#125 Thanks! Oh 75 books! That’s my (impossible) dream. I so want to do it though.

#126 Thanks, Rena! I think you’ve read more tomes than I have this year. Like Moby Dick, Anna Karenina, etc. Not quantity maybe but definitely quality. :-)

Congrats on reaching 50 books! And wonderful review of Eragon, by the way. My daughter felt the same way you did about it, but she did read the second. She never has read the third one yet. Although she wanted to donate the first two books, I decided to keep them and read them for myself one of these days. Then we can pass them on. I hate to let go of a book that I haven't read yet!
--BJ

#128 Thank you, BJ! A lot of people really seem to hate Eragon with a capital ‘H’. I don’t get it. It is not a great book, not a particularly good one either I guess but there are worse things out there. I say go ahead and read it. And I have that trouble too. Can’t let go of a book without reading it! :-)

There are worse things out there, yes, but they generally don't make the bestseller lists merely because of the author's age.

#130 Oh let go of it my friend. Just let go. ;-)

And I wasn’t referring to your rant in particular. I was referring to the general air of negativity. Just look at the review page of Eragon. Hate with a capital ‘H’!

Congrats on completing your challenge, Porua! It's been a great 50 books with you!

I have to confess I'm among those who dislike Eragon. I knew very little about it except that it was a popular new fantasy series when I borrowed the first two from the library. Within 30 pages I had to put it down. The writing was so dismally bad, the characters so clichéd, the action so boring. And I went in wanting to like the series!

Here's the link to Everything Wrong With Eragon, written by a person who clearly had too much time on his hands. Beware of some lewdness, but for the most part I found this sadly funny. Why are scathing reviews so addictive? :-P

#132 Thanks, Amy! I’m glad you’ve been with me through it all.

If only well written books made it to the best seller’s lists then this would be the ideal world. Over hyped best sellers that are not as great as everyone says they are, is nothing out of the ordinary. Take the Stieg Larsson books for instance. Everyone seems to love them so much. I don’t hate them. I just don’t understand all the hoopla surrounding them. I for one found them quite ordinary. The translation does add to its awkwardness but the narrative desperately needs an editor. Larsson’s books have been best sellers and people who never go to a movie with subtitles are watching the Swedish movie versions of the books. I’m baffled but the public seems to be devouring them. Oh well!

Oh and here is a really funny article I found on the whole The Girl books by Stieg Larsson phenomenon. It is The Girl Who Fixed the Umlaut by Nora Ephron in The New Yorker,

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2010/07/05/100705sh_shouts_ephron

My favorite part of Everything Wrong with Eragon:

“The monsters hurried into the brush, grunting as the hid.” – (p. 1)
- True masters of stealth.

>134 Porua: - ♥ that link, Porua. Hilarious.

I read the first two chapters of Dragon Tattoo and that was enough. For my part, I think anything that reaches the bestseller list is probably going to be banal. It seems to be what the public wants. Think Dan Brown, Stephanie Meyer, Matthew Reilley, Diana Gabaldon... I rest my case.

(I do exclude Harry Potter, though at last reading recently, I saw it with clearer eyes than I had before - it's good storytelling, but that's all it is.)

>134 Porua: I've only read the first paragraph of that Nora Ephron link (saving the rest for after I read Hornet's Nest) but I already love it! She's got the brandname-dropping thing down, which is one of the things about Larsson's writing that drove me the nuttiest. Thanks for sharing!

I haven't read anything of Larsson's and don't plan to, and I thought that link was funny. I'm sure it's hilarious to those who've read the books!

I'm glad you've all enjoyed the article. The funniest thing is that Ephron even gets the tone and the language of the books right. The product placements, the coffee making, the Italic thoughts, the bit about using the ‘Courier typeface’ while talking to a character called ‘Plague’, Salander’s and Blomkvist’s attitudes, everything is spot on. I bet given a chance she could finish those half written books Larsson has left behind!

#136 Thank you, Rena! It’s hilarious, isn’t it? I haven’t read any Dan Brown or Stephanie Meyer or Diana Gabaldon and I don’t even know who the other guy is. I don’t really care if mature adults ‘choose’ to read stupid books. But some of the more popular books today may be negatively influencing young minds. That is when I start worrying.

I must admit I do have a soft spot for Harry Potter. I kind of grew up reading the Potter books. So many memories are attached to those books! Consequently, I’m a little biased.

#137 You’re welcome! Ah the brand name dropping drove me crazy! That is one of the things I hated the most about the books. Why did Larsson feel the need to do that I don’t know.

#138 As someone who has read all three of the Larsson books I can honestly say that this article describes the books so correctly that reading the article is almost as good as reading them! Even though you haven’t read the Girl books now you know exactly how they go.

Wow, it looks like we have many books and interests in common.

I know it's late in the year, but at least I got here before December! I'm enjoying working through your threads and hope to be able to post a bit more in depth within a couple of days.

And thanks for the Ephron link; I love her work.

#141 Hi bohemima! It’s good to see someone else who loves both Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens just like me. I’m glad you found my threads. Better late than never, I say. :-)

And you’re welcome! I still find new things to laugh about every time I read the Ephron piece.

Kudos for reaching your goal of 50 books! I wonder about why some books are so popular as well. Dan Brown stuff is just painful to read. I could not get through the first chapter of the Diana Gabaldon book I picked up and am not interested in the Swedish 'girl books'. (I do love Steig's children's stories though.)

I read Eragon after I got disgusted with the Gabaldon book and another for a nice change of pace. Yes it is cliched but it was just what I needed at the time I read it. The library has the other Eragon books so if I ever feel like reading them I can easily find them. For YA lit it ranks high on the list, but not so much for adults.

Kudos for reaching your goal of 50 books! I wonder about why some books are so popular as well. Dan Brown stuff is just painful to read. I could not get through the first chapter of the Diana Gabaldon book I picked up and am not interested in the Swedish 'girl books'.

I read Eragon after I got disgusted with the Gabaldon book and another for a nice change of pace. Yes it is cliched but it was just what I needed at the time I read it. The library has the other Eragon books so if I ever feel like reading them I can easily find them. For YA lit it ranks high on the list, but not so much for adults.

#143 Thank you! Yes timing is another important thing. Many a time people dislike certain books because the timing was wrong. They may have been too sad or too tired or even too happy for it. As a result they end up not liking that particular book. You liked Eragon because it was what you needed at that time. It has happened to me too. For example, I started Villette by Charlotte Brontë a few days ago. I know it’s a good book but it’s just not what I want right now. So, I had to drop it and pick up something else.

>134 Porua:: Ha! Ha! Thanks for the laugh. I tried the first couple of chapters in the bookstore and I thought, This is really mediocre writing. Why all the buzz about it? I did like the movie though. If there was product placement, I didn't notice, because there's so much of that in movies anyway.

I didn't see your comment on the Thingaversary thread, but I would have soon, because I'm going to be posting my 2 books as well. Good thing, I put a link on my own thread, or I would never be able to find it. Happy reading!

>145 Porua: I hope the right moment for Villette arrives eventually Porua! :)

#146 You're welcome! It is mediocre and I too do not understand all the hype. And Happy Thingaversary to you!

#147 I hope so too, Rena!

I’ve enjoyed completing the 50 Book Challenge so much! I never thought I’d be able to read 50 books but I did it and am proud of myself. Now that I’ve completed my 50 Book Challenge, I would like to challenge myself anew. I think now I’ll try to complete 25 more books by the end of the year and make it a 75 Books Challenge! So, without further delay, I’d like to present my 75 Books Challenge thread here,

http://www.librarything.com/topic/98949

See you all there! :-)